Connections
by KaBunny
Summary: A great celebration is happening in Baron as the ambassador of the Land of Summoned Monster connects the two kingdoms. A new captain, who happens to be a skiled Dragoon, is also being welcomed back as the captain of the guards. Emotions will fly. KainxRyd
1. Long Awaited Meetings

Author's Note: I've always been a huge fan of this couple, but have never had the guts to write about them. I want to thank Katmillia for writing KainxRydia stories to keep me inspired.

Title: Connections

Author: KaBunny

Rating: Teen, jic.

Disclaimer: I don't own FFIV or it's characters, but this idea is mine.

Chapter One: Long Awaited Meetings

It had been a long while since she had returned to Baron. Rydia had been connecting all the kingdoms to the Land of Summoned Monsters with a great deal of effort. Most of her friends had been a great deal of help considering that most of them were actually rulers of their own kingdoms. Stipulations had been incurred whenever she had arrived and before long, there were celebrations of the two kingdoms' connections. Much of the time had been spent catching up on old times as she had disappeared for nearly a year. However, the reasons as to why she had placed herself back into the Land of Summoned Monsters for nearly a year without contact with anyone was unknown. The green haired girl simply changed the subject whenever it was mentioned, nonchalantly.

She had already created great relations with Damcyan as well as Fabul. Her last location was Baron. The idea of heading to Eblan had completely slipped her mind for some obvious, but unknown reason. However, whenever the idea did arise, an anger arose in her that made her nearly ill. She always excused herself from whatever she was doing.

But, now she was crossing the bridge to the kingdom where the man she deemed her older brother resided with the kind, talented white mage as his wife. She was confident that they would be happy to see her and so, a gracious smile crossed her lips as she was greeted at the door by the guards. She bowed slightly, her Summoner's robes swaying as she did so. As she stood up, she opened her mouth to speak, "I am Rydia of Mist, Ambassador of the Land of Summoned Monsters. I have come to talk relations with your king and queen."

"All guests must be cleared by the Captain of the Guards," the man replied in a bored voice, as if he had said this many times. The green haired woman shrugged lightly as if to say that she didn't mind waiting at all. She assumed that he would probably want to escort her in to see the king and his queen. It was a natural precaution. So, the Summoner turned to move down the bridge. She leaned on the railing just as she made it about halfway down the long wooden creation. She placed her arms lightly on the railing as she inhaled deeply. Her pale colored lids closed over her light green eyes as the wind lightly touched her face. She didn't know that someone was watching her carefully.

As her eyes drifted open again, she caught slight movement out of her the corner of her eyes. As she turned, her breath nearly caught in her throat from the sight that lay before her. The tall Dragoon that she hadn't seen in nearly two years was patiently making his way over to her, his helmet removed to allow his golden colored hair to shift in the slight breeze. The Summoner's right hand lingered on the railing, but her left hand was dangling at her side as her mouth remained wide open in surprise. As soon as reality came crashing in on her, her mouth closed and spread into a calm smile. Kain had just made his way to her and stopped to glance down at her. "I suppose that you are the ambassador?" he asked, his voice calm and soothing. His voice was still deep and rich with a great underlying peacefulness.

"And you are the Captain?" she questioned, the silly smile still lingering on her lips. Her smile was infectious enough to spread on to the man standing before her.

"Then I suppose that now the introductions are through, we should head inside to see Cecil and Rosa," the blue-eyed male said, turning away from her to lead her into the castle. Rydia followed closely behind the taller male, feeling as if she wanted to ask him so much. He seemed rather closed off, but there seemed to be a lingering peace around him that wasn't there the last time she had seen him. As she realized that he was still as attractive as he had been when she had last seen him, a small blush drifted across her cheeks. She quickly pushed the thought away as she stared at his back. What had he gone through to change him like this?

She turned her head to the floor, ideas running through her mind. What had he been doing all this time? Sure, he had gone to Mount Ordeals and spent some time there, but he definitely couldn't have spent two years up there by himself. When had he come back to Baron? Why hadn't she heard anything about him at all?

The green haired girl was so lost in many thoughts that she walked directly into the taller Dragoon when he stopped and turned to her. She nearly fell backwards from the force of her own blow, but a strong arm held her up, easily. Shocked, the Summoner looked up at the Dragoon, a brow arched. He immediately released her, making sure she was steady. "You all right?" he asked, not removing his hands from her shoulders. They applied a gentle amount of comfort and the green haired girl glanced at them before turning her head upwards to stare at Kain.

"Yeah, fine...sorry. I was spacing out," she replied, simply. She gave a rather nervous smile as her eyes drifted down to her clothing as if she had ruffled it.

"All right, then. Please, wait here while I announce you formally," he responded, turning away from her. Had she looked at him when he had been speaking, she would've noticed the odd look that he gave her due to her lack of complete attention. But, she only glanced up long enough to watch him close the door behind himself to the throne room. She knew that beyond those doors sat both Cecil and Rosa. Rydia was eager just to see their smiling faces again and feel the warmth that they seemed to seep from them. In that brief moment, she realized that she had truly missed them just as she had the same revelation about all the others. She rocked onto her right leg as her hips swayed only to glance up to the door swinging open widlly.

The Paladin didn't give her long to react before he had his arms wrapped around her, swinging her wildly about as if she was his child come home from a long trip. His excitement was infectious. She was laughing brilliantly as he spun her around, her green colored hair whipping around with her. It had grown quite long considering that she had normally kept it short. It was probably because the thin woman wanted a change after being utterly crushed. However, none of the sadness that she had felt a year ago seemed to play on her face at the moment. It was a happy time for her; Rydia's flushed, smiling face was proof of that. After Cecil had set her down, she was quickly embraced by a beautiful woman that could only be Rosa. The comfort of the room seemed to envelope her as she was greeted warmly by the couple. She didn't even notice that Kain had stepped back into the room to stand near the door. She also didn't notice that he watched her carefully.

"It's a surprise for you to show up suddenly," Cecil said, smiling charmingly at her. He was a handsome man with his light blonde colored hair. He had those deep brown eyes that seemed to draw her in warmly when she looked at him. "Just one of those good surprises, I suppose." He gave a her a wink as his face creased with a teasing smile.

"Oh, Cecil...she must be exhausted!" Rosa replied, standing next to the pretty Summoner. The golden haired woman seemed to radiate serenity and beauty. Her blue eyes lingered long on her husband as she voiced her concern for her old companion. That was when Rydia first noticed the bulging of the White Mage's stomach, a gasp inhaling loudly into her mouth. As the blonde girl followed the Summoner's eyes, she rubbed her stomach gently, giving out a tinkling of laughter as she did so. "Surprise!" she said, then released a big laugh. As did the others in the room as if it were some great, big kept secret.

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It had been a long day. Cecil and Rosa were wonderful people and they had given a great deal of hospitality to the young Summoner. Rydia appreciated it greatly, especially the large fluffy bed she was currently laying on. There had been much celebration and much catching up upon. Her real business hadn't even been discussed. It seemed that Rosa was due anytime now. Cecil thought it was a girl, but Rosa knew that he secretly hoped for a son. It was odd the way that the two seemed to flow so well together. However, the most odd thing of all was the prescence of the Dragoon. He was a silent ball of mysterious. Kain would add comments at just the right moment to cause her head to swivel around as if she had just remembered that he inhabited the room. Each one was well-thought out as well as amusing in it's own way. They all brought gracious smiles to her lips, whether in confusion or laughter.

'He's changed so much,' she thought, idly. 'How long was he on that mountain? When did he come back? What did he learn? How did he change? What kind of person is he now?' All the thoughts rang clearly in her head. She sighed, loudly, as she turned her head to glance out the window toward the glittering moon. Her green eyes lingered long on it as the questions swirled around within the confines of her mind. The pale green gown that she wore was warm enough against the small breeze that shuddered through her open window and drapes. It was a beautifully clear night and the crickets seemed to chirp in agreement outside her window. And as she pushed away the ideas and thoughts about the Dragoon that she hadn't seen in over two years, another thought permeated her mind. 'I wonder what Edge is doing...'

She immediately sat up, making a disgusted noise as she pushed that thought out of her mind. 'Time for a walk,' she thought, shoving herself up off the bed. The pale green gown made of a silky material clung to her form loosely, but she still looked lovely, even if it was her night clothes. She slid her feet into some slippers before opening her door and wandering down to meander around the castle. All the castle was dark and there were hardly any people awake. A few passing guards seemed to nod in her direction as she moved about, but no one of real importance. Soon, however, she found herself in a comforting spot atop one of the towers of the castle. The green-haired female found herself hanging her legs over the edges of the tower as she sat on the edge to overlook the land of Baron. The moon played softly over it all, seeming to bring a surreal feel to the real life of the planet. It was a majestic scene.

"Not too bad, huh?" she heard, causing her to turn, slightly. She caught sight of the blonde-haired Dragoon which had hardly said anything since she had arrived. A small smile graced her lips as she turned away from him to glance back out over the scene laid before her. The wind weaved through her hair a bit as it gently swirled by again. "This is my favorite spot, you know?"

"No...I didn't," she replied, simply. She didn't want to offend him, but more lead on to the fact that she hadn't seen or heard from him in a long while. She didn't say anything when he moved to sit down next to her softly. She didn't even look at him, but instead stared off at the moon glittering on the lake.

"It's been a long time," he said, his voice still rich and calm. He seemed to be permeating a great amount of calm and collection that Rydia just didn't feel at the moment. She felt slightly jittery and anxious as she was full of a large amount of curiousity. There was just so much to ask.

"Yes, it has," she responded, unsure of herself. Was he opening conversation for her to ask questions? She wasn't positive.

"I missed you," he muttered, after a long pause. His voice had suddenly dropped a few decibels, low enough for her to hear, but no one else. She turned to him, suddenly. Rydia stared at him a long while, her green eyes searching his face for any clue of a lie, but she could see none. She wondered if he was the same man that he used to be, but it was obvious that there were no similarities to the betrayer that he used to be. All the while that she watched him carefully, he stared out at the land laid before the both of them as if he had said nothing of a curious nature.

"Why?" was all she could think to ask. It sounded stupid the moment that she had said it. The young woman wished she could take it back and pretend that she had never asked it to begin with.

"Because...," he replied, pausing to mull over his answer. It appeared that he wanted his answer to be meaningful, but make sense as well. He paused long enough for her to turn and watch him once more. He turned to stare at her, his deep blue eyes watching her carefully. His face cracked into a soft smile, however. He moved to stand and when he finally had, Kain gently placed his hand on her head as he bent over, bringing his face awfully close to hers. "Your emotions are contagious."

And so, the Dragoon turned and moved back down the stairs, away from the pretty Summoner. He left her to think over what he had said and their possibly forming friendship. However, Rydia was utterly lost as she sat there, feeling the heat on her face from his being so close to her. Her hand was gently placed over her heart, calming its fast-paced beat. Just what was going on around here?

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That...was my first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I don't know when I will be getting the next one out, but I definitely know that I want to finish a KainxRydia story because I've always loved the idea of them as a couple. Thank you for reading!

KaBunny


	2. Getting Down to Business

Author's Notes: Back fooooooor chapter two. I hope some are enjoying my story; eventhough, I've only got one review from Katmillia. XD I don't mind not getting reviews...silence is an answer as well. I hate leaving reviews until the story is done. )

Title: Connections

Author: KaBunny

Rating: Teen

Disclaimer: I don't own FFIV or its characters, but this idea is mine.

Chapter Two: Getting Down to Business

The shimmering sun awoke the young Summoner from her peaceful sleep. She rolled over,g roaning slightly as her lids fluttered open to blink into the sun. The chirping birds seemed to bring her annoyance to another level as she sighed lightly, pulling the covers over her head. She knew that she had to get up and finally get down to business today, but the bed she was laying in was just so comfortable and warm. She wondered, briefly, just what time it was as she shuffled the blankets off the top of her body. She glanced back out the window, the curtains waving a bit as the wind moved through her room. Rydia noted that it was a windy day outsides before tossing the blankets off of her and climbing out of bed.

She moved over to travel bag that she had brought with her, pulling out a long sleeve shirt and a heavier skirt. She slipped on the shirt, the long sleeves hugging her arms down to a little past her wrists. It was black in shade with wisps of varying shades of green embroidery. The skirt was also black and long with a single slit up her right leg to the lower half of her calf. It had matching embroidery. It shaped her thin form nicely and allowed her to move swiftly in case the need arose. She slipped her feet into the sandals she had worn the previous day before opening the door and skittering down the hall. She found her way down the stairs and into the main dining room where Rosa was perched at the table, reading a book. "Oh...," was all the green haired woman said as she entered the room.

"Good morning, Rydia," Rosa said, as soon as she had noticed the summoner had entered the room. "Are you ready for breakfast now?"

"Uh...sure!" Rydia replied, taking a seat at the long table before her. She sat a few seats away from the white mage on the opposite side of the table.

"I'm sure as soon as you're done, Cecil will be ready to talk business. He's in a meeting right now," the blonde woman explained, reaching out for the small bell on the table. She rang it, the tinkling sound easily reaching the ears of the girl across the table from her. "You slept well, I suspect?"

"Yeah. The beds are rather comfortable here," Rydia said, suddenly feeling as if she had nothing to say anything to the woman before her. This was the same woman with whom she had saved the world a little more than a year ago. This was the same woman that she had come to think of as her surrogate sister. The summoner knew that she should have a lot to say to her, but her mind was drawing an utter blank. Maybe, she was still tired after all. Maybe, she was just hungry. Maybe, she was just reading into it too much. Rydia chose the third option just as a servant appeared with a plate full of fruits and another, smaller, plate with some crackers with cheese. He placed them on the table infront of the young summoner just as Rosa gestured to him. "Um...thanks...," she said, feeling her comfort level dropping again. She hated being waited on hand and foot.

"Oh!" Rosa exclaimed, glancing down at her watch. "Sorry to leave you so suddenly, Rydia, but I have to go teach my class. I nearly forgot!" She gave a small laugh at this as if it was an absurd thing to do before she closed her book, scooped it up into her arms, and moved out of the room as quickly as an eight month pregnant woman could do. Rydia glanced after her as she reached out for a strawberry. A small smile graced her features at Rosa's forgetful moment before she plopped the sliced fruit into her mouth. She sighed lightly, the weight of uncomfortableness falling away. Her attention moved back out the window as that was where the only moving things seemed to be.

"Mind if I join you for a bit?" a male voice asked from across the room. As Rydia was turning around to see who it was, a single thought was running through her head; at least he didn't scare me like Edge used to do. Her green eyes set upon the King of Baron, who appeared to be wearing a happy expression despite the fact that he had just gotten out of a meeting. Rydia shrugged and waved to a seat near her.

"Like I can deny the king in his own castle," she said, smiling brightly at him.

"You could. I just wouldn't like it very much," Cecil replied, laughing a bit. He moved over to the seat directly across from the summoner. Rydia slipped a few more pieces of fruit into her mouth as the small amount of comfortable silence continued. "I suppose we should get down to business..."

"Should we be in a more formal setting?" she asked, taking a few grapes. She popped one of them into her mouth as she stared down at the table.

"Naw," he said, rather unroyal-like. He leaned across the table a bit, placing his elbow and arm on the table as well to hold up his weight as he grabbed a few pieces of fruit for himself. "So what exactly are the stipulations that the Queen of Summoned Monsters wishes upon us?"

Rydia glanced up at Cecil to make sure that he was utterly serious as he spoke to her. She noted that there were no others in the room with them and this would be a rather informal meeting. Perhaps, he just wanted to get a general idea about what her society wanted so that he could bring it back to his council to make his own stipulations. Whatever the reason, it brought an odd bubble of curiousity up in the green haired woman, which she just swallowed back down. "Queen Ashura wishes to bring alive the lost art of summoning within the world. As you know, I am the last remaining of the only village that had the ability to summon monsters. The art is much like regular magic and can be taught to others with the correct teacher. Ashura wishes to start a school in the Land of Summoned Monsters for summoners. She wishes for me to choose candidates, a boy and a girl, that appear promising from each kingdom to send to the Land of Summoned Monsters. They will be returned in two years time, completely ready to begin school of their own to pass on the art that was lost when my village was destroyed. Upon agreement of this, the returning summoners are to be granted a suitable building with correct funding to make schools to pass along the art through the generatiosn to any of those willing to learn."

"What does Baron gain out of all of this?"

"Two well-trained summoners for no cost," Rydia replied, finally glancing up from the top of the table. She wasn't hungry anymore. Business tended to ruin anything that was normal in her. It was probably the stress, but she knew that whenever things came down to business, that's all it ever was, business. She could see that Cecil was mulling over the idea, but really saw nothing wrong with it. Ashura was trying to breath life into her people and Cecil would benefit by gaining the lost art. "Also keep in mind, summoners are good for protection, but all summoners will not fight against other summoners. If it comes to war, the summoners will be utterly useless against others of their kind. That is a pact that is made when you are gifted with summoning other creatures. But, all summoners come with a gift of black magic or white magic. So, they will be useful either way."

"Hmm...I see," Cecil said, after a long pause. "I'll have my council write up a contract that'll be ready for signing in a couple days." He smiled at Rydia as he reached across the table to take a bundle of grapes before he stood moving out of the room, munching on the green orbs. The summoner blinked after him, utterly confused as to just what had happened. The meeting had been completely informal and he had just accepted her proposal on the spot without any meeting with even his WIFE! The green haired woman sighed, flopping her head down into her arms on the table. How utterly arrogant of the man that was a older brother figure. Rydia could feel a headache forming.

The excursion for the evening included a visit to the garden that Rydia had just found that morning. She figured that she would enjoy the fireflies that evening after spending much of her afternoon in the library. She had spent most of her time researching. She wanted to know what Baron knew about the summoners- their past, their abilities, and most of all just how to use the art of summoning. She found just about nothing. The only thing that was noteworthy was a small children's book about a boy that knew how summon a monster because he had befriended it at a younger age. That scrap of evidence was so insignificant that it was nearly ridiculous to even think about it. Even in the other kingdoms there had been mention about summoners no matter how small. Mist was a village in Baron's territory, so the fact that it had completely fallen off the map made the summoner believe that something was twisting around here that shouldn't be. However, she could just be overreacting. There could just be another library.

There was another thing troubling her as well. She knew that Cecil was an old comrade and he was like an older borhter to her, but the fact that he agreed to her terms so quickly seemed to annoy her. There was certain protocol that had to be upheld and their informal meeting was unstirring. Her fears were completely unfounded as she knew that everything would be just as she said and that she was worrying for nothing. The contract would come out, she would read it over, find nothing out of place, and she would sign it. There would be a celebration of their pact and she would go home. It just seemed far to easy to comprehend for the green haired woman.

A sigh escaped her lips as she opened her eyes to stare up at the fireflies dancing around her. She had found a secluded spot with a large willow tree that she had taken shelter beneath. The tree's wide expanse fell partially over the lake that surrounded the castle. She sat on the dry land, however, with the small, flickering bugs dancing around her as she leaned against the massive trunk of the tree. "Rydia?" she heard just as the long tendrils of the tree began to shift about. Kain appeared, still brushing aside the long branches of the willow, his long hair tied back. He wasn't wearing his armor and it was the first time she had seen him ever do that. "I thought I saw you come out here...mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she said, not really sure of herself. She still had all the lingering questions about him and his behavior the previous evening had been just as weird. It didn't bring any satisfactory answers and Rydia was afraid that if she opened her mouth, some rude question might just slip out. So, instead, she tilted her head slightly again to begin watching the dancing insects as they played their mating game. Kain seemed to agree as he moved to sit against a different side of the tree. He slouched against it much like she was currently doing, but his eyes watched the calm ripple of the lake that was barely visible through the tangled tendrils of the willow.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, breaking the silence after a long few moments of silence.

"What makes you think that?" she countered, hoping to satiate some of her curiousity by throwing out useless questions. It didn't seem to waver in the slightest.

"Whenever you used to need time to think, you went off by yourself. Edge, usually, followed close by, so I don't think much thinking was done, but still," he explained. He was right. She did tend to wander off when she needed some time to clear her mind. She'd rather sort through it herself that express anything until she was sure. Kain also brought up memories that Rydia had hoped everyone else had forgotten along with her. It seemed that he remembered just as clearly.

"Edge doesn't know how to leave anything alone," she said, being rather vague.

"Whatever happened between you and him? I heard that you returned to the Land of Summoned Monsters instead of travelling to Eblan. I've also heard that the only kingdom you will not be visiting is Eblan," he inquired, backing up his question with the information he had easily received. He knew just as many powerful people as she did. It was quite easy to find out the information that he did, but the fact that he went to the trouble of figuring it out made Rydia wonder for a moment as she turned to stare at him, over her shoulder. He was bringing back unbidden memories, things she never wanted to think of again. She wanted the all to disappear as if they had never happened at all.

"Whatever happened to you on Mount Ordeals to bring you back here?" she asked, rather cruelly. "Don't ask questions you know others don't want to answer..."

"I found that I was a selfish person that wanted to follow the footsteps of a man that I barely knew. I realized that there was a right and wrong way of achieving goals that I want. I realized that I had lost what I never had and had to start over whether I wanted to or not," he said, turning to stare her. His eyes were deep pools of blue that seemed to bring such a wave of serenity that even Rydia felt her anger and bitterness chipping away. "Once I had come to accept just what had transpired, I returned here to make things right. Cecil and Rosa welcomed me with open arms and I took up the lance again in hopes of atoning for all that I had wrought. It's your turn."

She really been expecting him to answer. In fact, the idea that he had said more than a sentence to her seemed to completely blow her mind. He had also been utterly honest with her. She was confused by his onslaught of calm, open personality that she nearly wished that he was still the cold, calculating man he used to be. Something seemed to swell within her as she looked at the man before her. There were no words for it but confusion. She had no desire to talk about Edge, but now she owed him. He had been honest and open with her and now was her turn. "He wasn't the man I hoped he would be. I didn't want to be just another face in the crowd of women that chased after him and I wasn't ready to be pampered. I'm not royal material and I can't handle being waited on hand and foot," she explained, diverting her eyes away from him and tilting her head back the opposite direction to watch the fireflies again. "So...I returned to the Land of Summoned Monsters to escape it all. Edge knew what that meant as did I."

"Is that what has been bothering you and sent you out here?" he asked, having an inkling that it had nothing to do with why she was mulling over her thoughts alone.

"No," she answered simply. She turned back to face him, but realized her mistake all too quickly. He had moved closer to her while she had been looking away and now, when she turned, she was only a few inches away. Her nose nearly touched his and suddenly, she could hear her heart pounding in her ears, but hadn't a clue as to why.

"Then what's on your mind?"

"Cecil," she said, turning away from the Dragoon. She could feel her cheeks heating up and she thanked the small grove for its darkness. "He's so hasty and sure of himself. We had an informal meeting about the duties I can here to perform and suddenly he's drawing up a contract without even consulting anyone on the idea. I just find it reckless."

"It only seems reckless because he is doing it so quickly and because he has not asked anyone else for advice on the matter, but you seem to neglect the fact that he trusts you," Kain uttered, simply. The idea seemed to sink into Rydia's head and brushed away all the angry thoughts she had been having. It was a simple answer that she had almost completely overlooked. It was silly of her to not even see it. There was still one last matter.

"Kain...why is there nothing on summoners in the library?" she asked, not really sure he would even know. There was a lull in his answer before a small bit of laughter was heard. It was lighthearted and refreshing. Rydia had never heard him laugh like that before and it made her heart jump a bit even as she turned back to look at him. The smile still lingered there as she finally looked.

"I didn't even think you would notice, quite honestly. I removed all the books containing any information about Mist the day of your arrival in hopes of not bringing up any terrible memories," he said, softly. He turned to her, the smile gone, his face inches away from her, and with twinkling eyes that longed to be forgiven for his consideration of her. "They are currently in my quarters."

"Oh...," she said, and this time she did blush again. "May I have them?"

"Of course...we can go get them now," he said, standing up to dust off his pants. She stood up quickly after him so he would not offer any help to her. Rydia's heart still thrummed loudly in her ears adn she wasn't sure that she would be able to stand if he touched her. Something had changed within him and the green hair woman was quite sure that she liked it. He began moving through the branches of the willow and turned back, pausing to see if she was following him. She had paused to stare after him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Kain?" she said, diverting her eyes to the ground. "Thank you."

She missed a broad, genuine smile by turning her eyes away from him. "Anytime."

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Phew. That took a bit. Hopefully, the third chapter will be out more quickly. I had this one planned slightly planned out in my head, but the next one is still up in the air, but not really. I think I know what I want to do.

KaBunny


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